“I can send you a sample. Not much more. While my resources were devoted to searching in France, some competitors went and found the one in Italy. That treasure I never saw. I only read about it in the newspapers. The one in France was dug up by our friend Étienne Le Clerc. He took pictures, but those competitors stole it from his shipping warehouse. The one along the Danube, my men dug up today, and they took pictures. The actual treasure is now in the hands of the Hungarian government.”

Poliakoff said, “So you know these treasures exist, but you don’t have them. Who are these competitors who took these treasures from you?”

“It’s an American couple named Samuel and Remi Fargo. They’re rich treasure hunters, and they’ve found some magnificent riches in other parts of the world, but never anything like this. There can’t be many treasures like these. Attila swept out of Asia across the Ural and the Volga all the way to France, robbing cities. And I found out where he hid most of those riches.”

Poliakoff said, “This is just two people—and one of them a woman—robbing you and Le Clerc of a treasure worth millions and millions?”

“Billions. But it’s not just two people. When Fargo needs men, he hires them. When he doesn’t, they vanish like smoke. He also has the help of Albrecht Fischer, one of the world’s leading scholars on the late Roman Empire. And when Fargo believes he’s about to be outmaneuvered, he calls in the national police to take charge of the treasure.”

Poliakoff said, “Arpad, you must never again tell this story to anyone. If any of the people we both deal with heard it, they’d think you were weak. They’d turn on you like wolves and eat you up.”

“Are you interested in my offer or not?”

“Oh, I’ll do it for you,” said Poliakoff. “Where is your wonderful treasure now?”

“It’s buried in a chamber in the city of Taraz in Kazakhstan. I’ll send you a map.”

“And where are the Fargos? Do they know where it is?”

“They were here in Szeged this afternoon, but they’ve had several hours to learn the next location and I’m sure they’ll be leaving as soon as possible.”

“Find out how they’re planning to get to Kazakhstan from Hungary and let me know immediately. Do you have photographs of them?”

“I have men watching the airports and train stations and men watching the Fargos. I’m sending you the photos right now.”

“Call me the minute you know their flight number and destination. Minutes and seconds will matter.” He hung up.

*  *  *